


young and naïve still

by thewonderzebra



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pool Shenanigans, SO MUCH FLUFF, playful boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-14 15:58:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18951343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewonderzebra/pseuds/thewonderzebra
Summary: In which the boys play chicken. Inevitably, Bergy and Marchy get involved, though Patrice is initially averse to doing so.This is inspired by *that* gif of Marchy sitting on Bergy’s shoulders in a pool.





	young and naïve still

The Bruins are celebrating their hard-earned win (and a few days off) by having drinks and lounging in the hotel's pool. Brad is drinking progressively more, and clinging to Patrice's side, as he usually does when consuming alcohol. Patrice is absentmindedly holding Brad close to his side, likely subconsciously keeping Brad from getting into too much trouble while they interact with their teammates. Like Brad and Patrice, the rest of the team is splashing around the pool, obtaining drinks, talking and laughing loudly amongst themselves. 

At some point, they all hear Jake yelling, "Who wants to play chicken?!", and there is a flurry of activity. Charlie McAvoy instantly swims over to DeBrusk, volunteering himself for the game and clearly intent on forming a team. The two begin swimming around, pestering each of their teammates in attempts to get them to form their own teams and join the shenanigans. 

It is at this point that Brad turns under Patrice's arm and hops up and down in the water. "Oh, Bergy," he practically shouts in Patrice's ear. "We should play chicken!"

Patrice has to fight the urge to roll his eyes. As much as he loves Brad, the idea of playing chicken with the rookies does not play out particularly well in his imagination. "We are not playing chicken," he says emphatically. 

Just as Patrice expected, Brad lets out a pathetic half-groan, half-wail. "Why not?" Brad whines. "Chicken is practically a tradition in the pool. We're in the pool, and the tradition is being offered. So why can't we?" 

Patrice sighs. "For one thing, you're drunk, Bradley," he points out. "I don't think chicken and drunkenness mix. For another, we have absolutely no chance of winning. We're not exactly in our early 20s anymore." 

This time, it is Brad who sighs. "Really, Bergy? You're worried about winning?" he retorts. "I don't think there's a force in this world that can stop you from winning. But even if we lose, it's still fun. You don't want to have fun?"

Again, Patrice rolls his eyes. "Of course I want to have fun, ange. There's just something about the game that stresses me out, and I don't like it." He knows this is kind of a lame finish, but there it is. He shrugs, staring at Brad from behind his sunglasses. 

Brad crosses his arms, but doesn't argue the point. "Fine," he mumbles, resigned. "I guess we can just watch." He sidles up to Patrice and settles there, though a seemingly permanent pout etches itself onto his face. 

After watching several rounds of their various teammates playing chicken--and shouting their encouragements--Patrice pulls away from Brad. "Where are you going?" Brad asks, immediately missing the feeling of Patrice's arm around his shoulders (despite his current pouting). 

Patrice leans in to kiss his husband quickly on the lips, then sends him a coy smile. "I'll be back," he says, speaking just loudly enough for Brad to hear him while McAvoy and Jake parade themselves around the pool, daring any of their teammates to challenge them. Patrice weaves through the crowd of his teammates, seemingly moving in the direction of the bar while Brad turns his attention back to his teammates. 

From across the pool, where he is relatively obscured from view, Patrice watches Brad, and waits for the opportune moment to strike. He watches his teammates' shenanigans, and laughs to himself, shaking his head. Most importantly, he avoids drawing attention to himself, as doing so would foil his plans entirely. Finally, the moment he has been waiting for comes, and he submerges himself beneath the water's surface, swimming quickly in the direction of his other half. 

Brad is in the midst of whistling at Danton and Sean, attempting to goad the pair into taking on Jake and Charlie, when suddenly, he finds himself being lifted from the water. He lets out a loud yelp of surprise, grabbing emptily at the air, but finding nothing to grab hold of. Instead, he turns his eyes downward, toward his feet, and finds a familiar-looking head and shoulders supporting his weight and a familiar pair of hands holding onto his calves so he doesn't fall. Brad's jaw drops. "Bergy?" he questions, in total disbelief. "What are you doing?" 

In reply, Patrice tilts his head back, and grins. "What, it isn't obvious?" he teases. "We're playing chicken!"

Still in a state of shock, Brad laughs. "I thought you hated the game," he says, suspicious. "We don't have to play if you don't want to." 

Patrice shrugs, moving Brad's entire body as he does so. "I mean, I thought I did, too," he admits. "But I've never played with you, so we might as well try. Besides, what kind of husband would I be if I let you be miserable and pouting for the rest of the day?" 

Brad grins, and curls his body over so he can envelope Patrice's head in his arms. "God, I love you," he murmurs into Patrice's ear. "You're the absolute best." 

"I love you, too," Patrice returns. "Now, let's go take the rookies down." 

Charlie and Jake seem surprised that it is Brad and Patrice who are their challengers. They are more surprised that Patrice is playing, less so that Brad is. The rest of the team is the same way: entirely shocked at the sight of Brad, on Patrice's shoulders, both behaving like they are charging into battle. [In a way, Patrice supposes that playing chicken is like a battle, since it is all about the last one standing].

What comes as an even bigger shock to the onlookers, is the fact that Patrice and Brad emerge as the winners of said battle. Their competition, especially, seem shocked that the veterans beat them in something as trivial as chicken. Regardless, Patrice and Brad win, and they can't stop celebrating. 

Patrice, who convinced everyone he hated "chicken", is absolutely prideful, beaming and laughing even more than when the team wins a hockey game. Brad is his usual self, his typical smiling and laughing amplified by alcohol and victory. He curls over every so often to kiss Patrice, hard and sloppy, and every time is met with cheers and wolf-whistles from the team. 

Perhaps it is the alcohol, and perhaps it is the joy over a small victory. But Patrice feels absolutely giddy, and he can't help but to display this in any way he can. That ultimately results in him spinning in circles, holding firmly onto Brad as he splashes water and laughs. And it seems that joy truly is contagious, since Brad just laughs and relishes the moment, right along with his other half.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Comments are greatly appreciated, and always prompt me to write more. Positive feedback feeds my plot bunnies. :) If you’d like to come say hi on tumblr, I’m at the same URL there, too.


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